


Not Quite Identical

by Fandoms_Ruin_Life



Series: The Untold Stories [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Gay George Weasley, M/M, Protective Fred Weasley, The Weasley Twins Fifth Year
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-04
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:13:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24545209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fandoms_Ruin_Life/pseuds/Fandoms_Ruin_Life
Summary: To the average person, the two were identical in every single way. Not even their own mother knew of all the little intricacies that made them… well, them.But despite what most people who met them believed, Fred and George were still separate individuals. They had different likes, different talents and even slightly different heights. But what even Fred didn't know was that there was in fact one large difference that was now threatening to reveal itself.---The Weasley Twins Fifth Year*part of a chronological series, but can be read as a stand-alone and was written as such*
Relationships: Angelina Johnson/Fred Weasley, Cedric Diggory & Fred Weasley & George Weasley, Cedric Diggory/George Weasley, Fred Weasley & George Weasley
Series: The Untold Stories [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1718398
Comments: 27
Kudos: 61





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> It is super hard to find any Fred & George centric fan fictions as when they are tagged it is usually as side characters. So with that said; any fic recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Fred was worried. 

His twin had been quiet recently- and not even in the normal ‘George-Quiet’ way, a fact which Fred was one of the few privy to.

To the average person, the two were identical in every single way, not even their own mother knew of all the little intricacies that made them… well, them. But Fred and George were still separate individuals, and that resulted in slight differences. Of which, only a rare few were observant enough to notice.

Fred had a small, almost imperceptible scar above his eyebrow, the result of an experiment gone wrong, whilst George had a mole on his neck that his twin did not share. If one happened to look closely, they would also discover that George had eyes a slight shade lighter blue than that of his counterpart. He was also just a tad shorter than Fred, which only became noticeable were they to stand back-to-back, completely straight. 

It also went beyond physical. Fred was always more ruthless where George was sympathetic. They knew their roles well, and where Fred would instigate their more outlandish pranks, he did so in the knowledge that George would be able to soothe any issues that they may face. Fred truly did believe that this difference was what enabled them to be as successful as they were. 

After all, what was chaos without a little diplomacy to smooth things over?

Moreover, Fred was the older twin by about 17 minutes*, which yes he did lord over George on the rare occasions that they disagreed. But he also used his ‘big brother’ privileges when he was worried.

And worried he was.

George had always been the quieter twin, not by much of course, but to the observant bystander it was enough of a difference to help tell them apart. He was more introspective, and calculating, allowing Fred to take the lead whilst he came up with the plans behind the madness. 

But even on the rare occasions that he closed off completely from the world around him, George always had time to speak with Fred. Their inseparable bond was the most honest thing about them. They were each other’s confidant and Fred was concerned about whatever was worrying George so much that he couldn’t even tell him.

Fred didn’t know what to do. 

This was an entirely new situation for him and he wasn’t sure that he was qualified to deal with it. He would honestly be tempted to go ask Hermione for advice if it wouldn’t be such a breach in privacy. It may be stupid and slightly co-dependent, but it was an unspoken agreement that only the other would be allowed to see them in any moment of weakness. 

This 'contract' was in fact so solid, that it would only be broken for their future relationships- and even then, only when they were seriously committed to that person.

So yeah, he was worried. 

He knew that they were bound to come across something within their lives that they would want to deal with on their own at some point. Fred wasn't stupid, in fact he was pretty damn intelligent, so of course he understood that privacy held a much greater value the older you got.

But this had been going on for a while now, and he wasn't sure what to do.

It had reached the point where even their other friends had noticed that something was wrong, and had come to Fred to ask if George was okay. And that was what got to him. Usually he felt secure in the knowledge that he knew more about his twin than anyone else in the world.

But not this time.

This time he knew the same amount as everyone else, and it was not a good feeling. He didn't like being on this side of the knowledge fence.

And that was why he was going to change that. One of his best kept secrets was that he had almost been sorted into Slytherin. He hadn’t been of course, but the hat had told him that he had enough cunning and ambition to make it far within the house.

Now that cunning was going to be put to the test.

He was going to find out what was wrong with George, and he was going to do it soon. Fred was determined to find out, and when he sets his mind to something, no one is able to stop him.

It was a puzzle to figure out, and he was going to piece it together if it were the last thing he ever did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *I read that this is the average time (depending on source), but some super rare cases can last days and honestly even the 17 mins had me shook. Ik that the couple of mins difference you normally read in fics is usual when the birth is not vaginal and I think the canon difference is 2 minutes, but i kinda wanted to use this average time cause i found it super interesting that the gap is quite long, idk ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	2. 10th December, 1993

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another kinda short chapter. I probably could have tied this into the prologue, but that would've required me to think ahead in regards to chapters rather than events.

The school year had well and truly begun, the Quidditch season was in full swing and Fred was still no closer to finding out what had been plaguing his twin.

This whole personality switch had started with what Fred was now calling 'the cursed RavenPuff match'. That bloody game had seemingly flipped a switch within his brother, and it had honestly appeared as though George had entered the spectator's stand one person and exited another. 

Fred, though he had been confused, had assumed that it was just a temporary thing and didn't think much of it at the time. He had settled in for a weird night and the expectation that things would return to normal in the morning. But apparently that would not be the case. 

Weeks had passed since then, and if anything, George's behaviour had just gotten even more peculiar. 

Now, after a few days of observation, he had concluded that Cedric had something to do with his twin's new behaviour. Just exactly how he contributed, Fred did not know, as their friend looked just as confused as Fred felt. 

Every time George and Cedric were in the same room together, without Fred to act like a buffer, George found a reason to flee. On one memorable occasion, his excuse being that _Fred_ wasn't feeling well that day, and had called for him on the communicative necklace they had invented the previous year. 

Memorable, because Fred himself had been hiding nearby to confirm the 'fleeing' theory that he had observed on the map. He had also been feeling perfectly fine that day, but was in fact a good brother and played his 'illness' up when Cedric came to wish him well.

So something was definitely going on and Cedric was somehow involved. 

Fred felt like he was sitting right on top of the answer, and the frustration built with each day he once again failed to look down and see it. It was just out of his reach, and Fred resigned himself to the fact that no amount of cunning or investigative skills would help reveal the answer.

But that didn't mean he would let it rest, it just meant that he would no longer be subtle in his enquiries. 

With a new plan in place, he resolved to just ask his twin what was going on. He couldn't just outright ask him about it though, he needed to time it right. If Cedric was involved, as Fred suspected he was, then he would need to corner George about it when there was no chance of Cedric walking in on them. 

The dorm was also out of the question, as Fred had a feeling that if George didn't feel comfortable telling _him_ about it, then it didn't matter that Lee was their best friend. Asking him about it when there was a chance that Lee could walk in? Well, that would probably just end with Fred getting no answers once again.

So he had to do this correctly.

The most obvious choice would be to wait for the Hufflepuff team to have their Quidditch practice at the end of the day, but that also left the location undecided. They, of course, knew about the secret passages thanks to the map, but a few of their friends knew about them too and used them to their advantage.

Maybe one of the blocked tunnels then?

Fred wasn't sure, but he had the rest of the day to figure it out. The time was certain though, he was going to ask his twin about this at the end of the day. He wasn't sure he could sit in the dark much longer, and hopefully he could finally figure out what was troubling George and fix it.

Potentially having the answer in his reach filled him with a rush of anticipation, and he just hoped that whatever it was, it wasn’t too bad. He would hate to have to murder Cedric. 

They hadn't been friends for too long, no more than a year really, but if the reason that George was now avoiding their friend was due to something malicious? Cedric wouldn't live to see the day through.

* * *

They were just exiting their final class of the day, Transfiguration, when George felt Fred grab his elbow and drag him into a nearby corridor. 

Confused, George gave him a questioning look but Fred just raised his eyebrow and crossed his arms. After a brief moment of silence where George could see his twin steeling himself up to say something, Fred took a deep breath and asked,

"Can we talk?"

A brief wave of panic washed over him at those words, but the calm and non-judgemental expression on his twin's face relaxed him slightly. It wasn't as though the question had been unexpected after all.

George had known that this was coming ages ago. 

He knew Fred almost as well as he knew himself, and as such could tell when his twin was building up to something. In this case, he could tell that Fred was building up to ask him about his out of character behaviour.

George had tried to be discrete, he honestly had, but even he could tell that he had been failing miserably. It was hard to keep something secret when the subject of it was always hanging out with you, and only heightening the feelings that you were trying to keep hidden.

The _secret_ being that he was gay.

George had always known that he had viewed the concept of love and relationships differently than Fred, but up until the previous month he had been unaware as to why that had been.

Where Fred would gush over a gorgeous girl, and angst over whether to ask her on a date or not, George would simply admire her beauty but not understand why Fred felt the attraction that he did. In his mind the girl was just beautiful and there was no reason to think any deeper than that.

Where Fred would double-take when such a girl would walk by, George would just keep walking, unaware that he had momentarily lost the attention of his twin. 

Recently though, what he had previously just assumed was late blooming and a healthy appreciation for guys, had turned into a full-on crush that he was in no way ready to deal with. A full-on crush, of which the subject happened to be _a guy_.

After the discovery, acceptance had been the easy part. George was used to surprises, and this was just another thing that he hadn't seen coming. But how said surprise could then potentially affect his relations with those closest to him? Yeah, that was the part that had him panicking. 

Even now, a month past his initial discovery and long-lived expectation for Fred to come and demand answers, George wasn't sure he was ready to see that change in action. To see just how a detail which to him was so inconsequential, would alter his twin's perception of him. 

Still, there was no escaping his brother's inquisitive gaze and he could tell that Fred was worried. He didn't want him to be concerned for no reason, so all he could do was sigh and grumble, "sure."

George just prayed that this would end well. He had faith in his twin, but sometimes people could surprise you in the worst possible ways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I'm basing George's self-discovery feelings upon my own. Personally, I kinda just went "meh" until I realised that I would have to tell my family if I wanted to bring someone home, as even though I knew they would be okay with it, I was still anxious. BUT I am in no way saying that this is universal and if this doesn't match your expectations or experiences, I can only apologise and hope that you don't think that I'm making light of the situation or something. 
> 
> ALSO! Yes I made the twins invent communicative jewellery. Do they in canon? No, not to my knowledge, but it seems silly if they didn't. Like they had the ears, this was just the next step! Especially since quick communication seems severely lacking in the wizarding world, and I can see the pair having a big demand for them once they put them on the market.


	3. 10th December, 1993

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One of my fav things about working with the twins is that although they are well-established characters, there is still so much unknown about how they interact with people that aren’t the trio. AKA, how do they act when they aren’t being annoying older brothers? Tis fun to think about and I get A LOT of leeway as a result, which makes my life so much easier as I haven’t read the series in years. 
> 
> Saying that… here’s one of the most important character focussed chapters in the fic! I tried to keep this serious whilst also keeping the fact that this is a _sibling_ conversation, and as someone with a close sibling myself, I def understand how complex those kinds of relationships are. Like… they’re allowed to cross boundaries no one else are, and will always have your back, but they can ALSO be super pushy if they don’t know something, so can they just stop, please?
> 
> Anyway, hope this worked out okay and hope you enjoy!

As soon as George’s agreement left his lips, Fred had grabbed him and dragged him into one of the nearby secret passages. They walked through it in silence, and with each step, the butterflies that had filled his stomach since Fred’s declaration grew evermore vicious. 

Very soon, the excited chatter of students had faded, and the silence that had enveloped the two of them now felt crushing. No longer was there ambient noise to distract him from the fact that this was really happening. Fred had finally reached his breaking point, and even though he had tried to prepare for this moment, George felt entirely out of his depth. 

Still, despite how overwhelming the silence felt, it was currently the lesser of two evils, and George had no inclination of breaking it anytime soon.

Fred, however, did not appear to feel the same. For as soon as they were away from the hordes of potentially eavesdropping students, he asked, "what's going on with you, then?"

And, well… Maybe it was cowardly, but all George could find in himself to reply was, "what do you mean?"

Fred wasn’t taking that though, and George didn't blame him. Not when, _not even five minutes ago_ he had agreed to have this conversation. So, when Fred just rolled his eyes and said, "cut the bull,” George couldn’t find it in himself to defend his reply. 

That didn’t stop him from maintaining his silence though.

To his merit, or maybe just ill-advised faith that George would actually carry on this conversation, Fred let the quiet linger for a moment. He had never been the most patient of people, though, so George knew that it wouldn't be long before he snapped. 

And maybe his self-imposed muteness had been the wrong move, for when when Fred next spoke a mere two minutes later, he wasn’t surprised when all the frustration of the past few weeks came out in full: “you've been acting weird as hell for weeks! I know Cedric's involved and I want this to stop! What the hell is going on?"

 _That_ surprised George. 

He knew that Fred had recognised his weird behaviour, but he hadn’t realised that Fred had been able to connect it to Cedric. Apparently, he had done an even worse job of hiding this than he had first thought, and George really didn't know how he felt about that.

“You know it has to do with Cedric?"

He didn’t even have to look at Fred to know that his twin had just rolled his eyes at that unhelpful reply. His frustrated huff of breath and subsequent annoyed speech had said it all. "Well, I had my suspicions and they've just been confirmed. Thanks for that, mate.” 

Fred’s voice then softened as he continued, and when George chanced a look at his twin’s face, the genuine concern that painted it weakened his resolve a little. “Seriously though, what's up? You know you can tell me anything.”

Fred _actually_ cared. _Why the hell was he so frightened about this?_ George didn’t know, but having a reminder of this did help settle his nerves slightly. 

Only slightly though, it certainly wasn't enough to get him spilling his guts anytime soon.

“Did Cedric do something?" 

And- _oh_. George realised, _that’s why he’s being so pushy about this_. Of course, if Fred suspected that someone else was involved, he would jump straight to foul play. It did make sense. 

George couldn’t fault him for jumping to conclusions, he probably would’ve done the same. But still, he couldn’t let Fred continue thinking that Cedric had done something malicious. Not when it was actually quite the opposite, so rushed to reassure him otherwise, lest Cedric find himself at the end of some misguided attempt at revenge. 

"No! No. He's done nothing wrong!"

That seemed to force some of the wind out of Fred’s sails, but now he just looked curious. George almost sighed in frustration at the sight of it. A curious Fred was a Fred that didn’t give up, and had he not already trapped himself by agreeing to this conversation, this slip of information certainly would have done so in his place. 

"Then why are you avoiding him?"

 _Crap_. 

"I'm not!"

"You totally are!” Fred’s grin was vicious, and to his despair, George knew that whatever he said next would have him check-mated, “or how else can you explain why I had to pretend to be ill a while back. Cedric came to check on me, you know, said you had to 'rush back' to take care of me."

"Of course, he did." George sighed, _stupid kind-hearted Cedric, always throwing a wrench in his plans by actually being a good person_. 

“Well?”

Fine. Whatever. 

He had already agreed to this anyway. He was a _Gryffindor_ for Merlin’s sake. George wasn’t about to back out now.

But he also wasn’t about to have this conversation in the middle of a hallway. Secret or not, someone could walk through any minute and George wasn’t about to chance that.

Not with this.

“Can we talk about this in private?”

Fred laughed, “I thought you might want to, ‘tis why we’re now heading for the tunnel with the collapsed ceiling. That’s about as private as you can get in this damn castle.”

“Seriously?” George asked incredulously.

“Seriously.” Fred confirmed, “I had this all planned out and everything.”

George takes back every bad thought he’s ever had about his twin. This level of concern being shown? 

All without being asked, too? 

They never say it to each other, but if they did, this would surely be the moment to tell his twin that he loved him. He always knew that Fred had his back, but this was so unexpected. And despite the anxiety still hitting him hard, a sudden warmth bloomed within his chest at the thought of this consideration.

He couldn’t say any of that though, that would be way too awkward, so all he could reply was “you’re ridiculous.” 

After all, he wasn’t about to willingly add-on to what was about to be the most awkward conversation of his life. 

“Maybe so, but was I wrong?”

_He really wasn’t._

“I guess not.”

“Exactly!” Fred exclaimed, his voice almost irritatingly cheerful, “big bro is always right.”

 _Of course, he had to ruin it_ , George thought as he glared at his twin’s shit-eating grin. 

If his life had taught him anything, it was that Fred was incapable of being nice without also being an asshole. Still, even though he knew that Fred wasn’t going to stop, that didn’t mean that he had to encourage said behaviour.

He seriously regretted ever having a single nice thought about Fred, and all he could do was scoff “don’t start that one again.” 

He knew that this was a losing battle, but George was just as stubborn as his twin, and to give in would be to admit that Fred had won. He couldn’t allow that, and anyway, “this is not enough of a crisis for _that_.”

He will admit, even if only to himself, that Fred’s ‘big brother’ tendencies could be comforting in rare situations. But this was not one of them.

George could handle this himself, thank you very much. He didn’t need coddling, even if it were only done in a teasing manner.

There was a reason he hadn’t even told Alicia, who was an out and proud lesbian, about all this. He loved her, but despite her occasional tough nature, she rivalled Oliver for her mother-henning and _he_ was notorious for it.

Thankfully, Fred seemed to understand his reasoning. For instead of ignoring his request as he would any other day, all he said was, “fine. But only because I want you to actually tell me what’s going on. That’s a fair deal, right?”

George huffed out a laugh at that, “it’s really not.” 

As if the two were comparable in the slightest, and _Fred knew that_. He was just being a knob as usual and George couldn’t help but be reassured by that fact. 

Then, as if to prove George’s thoughts, Fred spoke up again, his voice full of self-assured confidence. 

“You’re still gonna tell me though, aren’t you?”

And really? Of course, he was. They both knew that he was going to the _second_ he had agreed to this conversation in the first place. George didn’t just back out of agreements.

So, all he could do was sigh, “looks like,” and hope that he really was just overthinking this. As at the end of the day, should Fred be okay with this, he could finally relax.

Fred’s opinion was the one that had always meant the most to him and if he were being honest, that was why this was so hard. He really _did_ want Fred to know, and past experiences told him that Fred should be accepting.

It was just a matter of telling his heart that, as at the moment if felt as though it were beating straight through his chest.

* * *

“Soo?”

“So?”

Fred rolled his eyes, “You really gonna make me clarify? Really?” 

They had made it to the blocked passage, the rest of the journey being made in near silence. 

He knew that this was hard for George, and if he were being honest, he was more annoyed with himself. Usually just acting normal was a sure-fire way of getting George to spill what was going on, but that was clearly not as effective this day. 

Now he was clueless, and that truly sucked because he didn’t like not knowing what to do.

Especially since that despite the lack of forthcoming information from his twin, it was clear that he wanted to tell him. Past experiences had proven that if George really didn’t want to tell him something, he would just hex him and walk away. 

But George was _still here_ , and despite giving non-answers, _still talking_.

That’s what made this so hard.

If George genuinely didn’t want him to know, he would have backed off ages ago. But not now. Not if his probing was the only way that George was ever gonna relax. 

“C’mon, it’s like a bandage; just gotta rip it off. Nothing you say will change anything between us, you know that.”

George sighed, “I hope so.”

“Look.” Fred started, “If it will make you feel any better, I promise that if for some stupid reason I’m an idiot and have a bad reaction, you can just obliviate me.”

The solution he was proposing was an insane one, and probably illegal, but Fred meant every word. He could tell that George realised that too, for instead of laughing at him, his twin shot a panicked look in his direction and asked, “isn’t that really dangerous? As in, too dangerous even for us?”

 _Probably_. He thought, but he didn’t share that. Instead, he just said, “hey, I have faith in our shared genius. I trust that you can do it, and if I mess this up, I probably deserve it if it goes wrong.”

“No, you don’t.”

“Yeah, I do.” _He really did_. “But we aren’t arguing about this.” 

Fred could tell that George was still unconvinced, so he changed tactics, hoping to at least lighten the mood. “C’mon, even if you’ve somehow killed Harry, and the kid walking around right now just has a really good supply of Polyjuice potion, I wouldn’t hate you.”

George snorted, “the precious ‘chosen one’?”

“Exactly!” Fred exclaimed, “and I know for a fact that you haven’t done that, and really, I can’t think of a worse crime than murdering the saviour of the Wizarding World.” 

At least, not when considering personal ones, anyway. But this was not the time to get into comparing how bad various crimes were, so he continued, “if I would stick with you through that, surely you can trust me to stick with you through whatever’s bothering you?”

“I guess. And I do trust you, I just…”

“I get it. Whatever I say won’t mean shit to you until I actually react to whatever you have to say. Actions speak louder than words, right?”

“Yeah.”

Fred didn’t know what else to say, so just sat across from George in silence. He had said his piece, and now it was up to George whether or not he wanted to divulge whatever was bothering him. 

A few minutes passed where Fred watched George visibly hype himself up to say something, before suddenly, and without warning, George exclaimed, “I’ve got a crush on Cedric!”

That gave Fred a pause. “Wait… this is what you’ve been stressing about? You know Charlie’s openly bi, right? And Alicia…?”

This level of panic just didn’t make sense to him. But then again, he also had no similar, _personal_ , experiences to compare it to, so maybe it really was normal. In any case, it obviously meant something to George, so he resolved to take this as seriously as possible. 

Fred forced himself to school his expression into something supportive rather than confused, and made sure to keep it in place as he listened to the explanation.

“I know!” George’s voice was thick with frustration and stress, Fred’s resolve to keep his expression supportive grew even further, “but Alicia’s not family so it’s different. And with the amount Mum goes on about Charlie finding a wife and having kids, it kinda gave the impression that she only cares about him still liking girls. Ignore the problem and it may not present itself, y’know? That half-acceptance wouldn’t work for me.”

_Oh._

“Cause you’re…?”

“Gay. 100%.”

George’s voice, now his secret had been revealed and explained, was strong with certainty. It was as if he were now daring Fred to make a wrong move, but all Fred could think to reply was, “okay.”

_This all suddenly made so much more sense._

* * *

That… had not been what he was expecting. 

“ _Okay?_ ” He echoed in question, trying to figure out what exactly just happened. 

Out of all the possible responses he had anticipated, _that_ had not been one of them. 

This was too easy! 

In the nicest (and without anxiety, _most_ ) of the outcomes he had imagined, there had been acceptance, sure. But there had also been a healthy dose of teasing to go alongside it.

Where was all of that?

Fred was _right_. Alicia was their friend. Charlie was _out_. He was making this into such a huge deal when there had been a set standard of acceptance, and yet… nothing. 

No ribbing. No ‘you colossal twat’. No laughter.

Nothing.

Just- ‘ _okay_ ’. 

“Yeah. Thanks for telling me and I’m glad that you trusted me, but this doesn’t change anything. Well… except for the fact that my revenge plan for Cedric now has to be put on ice, of course.”

_His what?_

“Your _what?!_ ”

“I thought he did something to you!”

 _Oh_. That was kind of sweet. 

George would rather die than tell Fred that though.

“And your response was to…?”

“Wait for the next time we’re playing against him in practice so that there’s no witnesses, lob all the Bludgers at him and hope he breaks a leg or something. _Then_ ,” George watched with exasperated fondness as Fred grew more and more animated as his story continued, “ensure that his stay with Pomphrey is a long one- those vomiting potions we've been working on would probably do the trick. And I would time it so that he's there long enough that he doesn’t get enough practice and has to sit out of the next match he’s part of. A bonus would be to destroy his broom at the same time, but that might be asking for too much.”

George considered the plan, and honestly, it didn’t sound bad. If anything, it was pretty good for what seemed to be half made-up on the spot, so just replied, “that’s fair.” 

“I know!” Fred exclaimed, seemingly very proud of himself, “I’m sure you would’ve been a lot more subtle, but this was the best plan I could think of.”

“Nah.” In any other situation he probably would’ve. After all, of the pair of them, potions were his forte. He preferred them as it allowed him to wreck a ton of chaos from a distance and watch it all unfold with a good view. But if he had the anger of his twin being hurt involved? “It’s effective. I probably wouldn’t have planned much different if I thought he’d hurt you.”

They shared a smile, and George was just thinking that this conversation was over when Fred spoke once again, his tone serious.

“Speaking of hurt, what mum says…”

“I know.” George sighed. He knew that they would have to talk about that, but that didn’t mean that he _wanted_ to. “She doesn’t mean it that way.”

“She doesn’t.” Fred confirmed, but the look on his face spoke volumes. It told George that he wouldn’t let them leave it at that, and Fred proved said deduction when he continued with: “but that’s not what I was gonna say.”

“What?”

“If you ever decide to come out to her, let her know that her actions hurt.”

Well… that hadn’t been what he had expected. Fred seemed to be full of surprises today, despite the fact that he was meant to be the one with the shocking statements. 

_He_ was meant to be the one to shock Fred into silence, and yet all he could think to say in response was, “huh?”

* * *

Fred smiled sadly, as much as he loved their mother, she did make their lives harder sometimes. Usually, for him at least, it was just her not accepting the fact that their aspirations in life didn’t match what she had in mind for them. But this was something else.

 _This_ was something that they couldn’t just ignore.

“Knowingly or not, she made you uncomfortable to come out, even though theoretically it should’ve been easier since Charlie has already done so.” He paused for a second to make sure that George understood what he was saying and was still listening. “I know she’s just obsessed with the idea of grandkids, but that’s still an option for her with you. Charlie too, even if he finds a nice dude. She didn’t have to word it as if a ‘nice wife and kids’ were the only acceptable future.”

George nodded, and Fred sighed in relief, glad that he hadn’t overstepped. The last thing that he wanted was for George to get the impression that he was swooping in and taking control over something that George should be allowed to deal with as he saw fit. 

Taking the nod as a greenlight to help George with this problem, when George replied, “but I’m pretty sure she didn’t mean to, and I don’t want to hurt her,” Fred didn’t allow the conversation to stop there.

“But she hurt _you_. I get it if you don’t want to talk to her, but maybe talk to Charlie about it?”

“Why?” George asked and Fred stopped himself from rolling his eyes. _He was being supportive, damn it_. If there was any day which would allow his twin stupid questions, today would be it. 

“Well to start, maybe support from another guy that likes guys would help?” Fred could see George open his mouth to start to argue, but continued on before he could. _He was right_ , and George would have to accept that. Fred would always be there for his twin, but he couldn’t understand this like Charlie would be able to. 

Talking to him could only be a positive move. 

Also, “I’m pretty sure the only reason he hasn’t said anything yet is because, like you, he doesn’t want to hurt her and have that make one of his rare visits awkward. But if he knew how it affected you? He’d be straight here to tell her off.”

For all Fred joked about being the elder brother, Charlie was actually one of them, and he took his role seriously. Whilst they all looked up to him as a fun-loving (and sometimes reckless) role model, he was also fiercely protective of his family.

Fred knew that he would be straight back home at even a _hint_ that this was making George so upset.

“I don’t want Charlie to swoop in and solve my problems for me, though.”

Okay. Fair.

“Then don’t.” Fred could respect wanting to solve your problems by yourself, he was the same. But still, _this was a solution_ , and he wasn’t about to give up on this without a fight. Especially since this could solve this whole situation pretty quickly. 

“You don’t even have to do anything if you don’t want to.” He reassured, hoping that his insistence on this wouldn’t take away George’s sense of freedom, “but I also know _you_. I know that until you know for sure whether her talking like this is intentional or not, you’re just gonna obsess over every way this could go wrong. I could tell it was hard enough to tell _me_ , I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so anxious before.”

“Yeah.” George snorted, “it wasn’t fun.”

“I can’t imagine it would be.” He really couldn’t. He couldn’t imagine it _at all_. But _Charlie_ would be able to. “Will you at least think about talking to Charlie? I know it affects him too, and this would just be the final push that he needs to tell her. It wouldn’t just be your problems he would be solving.”

Fred could see George wavering, and internally cheered when his twin muttered a soft, “maybe.”

“That’s all I ask.” Fred knocked his foot against George’s from where he sat across from him, before stating, “I’m proud of you, you know?”

“Shut up.” George scoffed.

Any other day, Fred would have left it at that. But he needed George to know this was genuine, to know that he would always support him. “No. I am, and I’m sorry if I’ve ever done or said something like-“

“You haven’t.” George cut him off, “I was just nervous because even though I _knew_ that you would be okay with it, sometimes knowing that isn’t enough. There’s always a _possibility_ , you know?”

Fred sighed, before confirming, “yeah. I get that.” 

Though he couldn’t really understand the whirlwind of emotion that his twin must have gone through, he could at least appreciate the anxiety over wanting someone’s approval. He just hoped that his assertion that their mother truly didn’t know what she was doing turned out to be correct.

* * *

George couldn’t believe how well this had gone. 

Though at times Fred’s pushy nature had been a tad annoying, now that the conversation was over, he could honestly say that it had helped. Fred had been accepting, hadn’t teased him and they now had a tentative game-plan in regards to helping deal with some of his coming out anxiety.

He wasn’t naïve, he knew that no matter what he did, telling their mother would be terrifying- this conversation was testament to that. But he could also see Fred’s point, and knew that even _speaking_ to Charlie would do wonders for settling his nerves about the whole thing.

If he were being honest, telling Charlie had always been on the cards. In fact, if it hadn’t been for his desire for Fred to know everything important about him first, Charlie would've likely been the first person he would have told. He could be assured that there would be no negative consequences, after all. 

But to ask him for advice about their mother? 

He knew that no one would look at him different if he chose to do so, but he couldn’t help but feel like it was the coward’s way out. 

George just couldn’t do it. 

But then again, if telling him helped Charlie solve his own problems, surely it would be a good thing? 

He just didn’t know, but maybe coming out to him could be the first step. Fred was right about that. Having someone who actually understands how he feels, especially in regards to their own family? 

George would've had to have been an idiot not to see the merits in that. 

“So…” Fred’s teasing voice broke the silence that had settled around them, dragging George out of his thoughts and signalling the end to their serious conversation. This was finally over and George could've collapsed in relief at that realisation. 

Though it felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, the whole thing had just left him exhausted. He couldn’t even muster any annoyance at the fact that Fred now had new material to use against him for jokes and teasing.

Still, Fred needed a response, and George wasn’t about to just lay down and take it, so met Fred's gaze across from him and raised his eyebrows in challenge. However, before he could say anything, he was stopped when a shark-like grin settled upon his twin's face, and Fred spoke once more, “Cedric, huh?” 

“Mhm.” He grunted in agreement, “me and every girl in this damn school.”

“Not _every_ girl.”

“No,” George allowed, “probably not Hermione.”

“ _Angelina_?” Fred’s voice was full of indignation, and a grin fell upon his face at the sound of it. 

Check-mate.

“She may be into you, but that won’t stop her from making a move on him because you’re a coward and haven’t asked her out.” Though the thought of Angelina making a move on Cedric hurt, the sight of Fred reacting to his words was more than enough motivation for him to continue. 

His grin grew further as he went on, “what was it she said? That he’s ‘tall and good-looking’?”

“So, she has eyes.” Fred argued, “that doesn’t mean she has a crush.”

“Just stop being an idiot and ask her out, then it won’t matter!” George shot back a familiar retort in return, the argument being one which they have had in numerous forms over the past year, “I don’t even know why you haven’t when it’s clear as day that you like each other.”

“It’s never the right time!”.

"Of course.” He groaned. He’s not even sure why he tries anymore, Fred’s answer was always the same.

It was always just _never the right time_.

“Hey!” Fred countered, “we didn’t come here to talk about _me_.”

“That’s right, change the subject cause you know I’m right.”

“Shut up.” Fred muttered and George couldn’t stifle the chuckle that erupted at his childlike response. His twin just glared back, which did absolutely nothing to stem the amusement pouring out of him.

The amusement remained, even when Fred asked, “seriously though, Cedric? I mean, I get it, he’s a good-looking guy, but _really_?”

“What? I thought you liked him.”

“Yeah. As a _friend_ , but I dunno. I always thought he was a bit overrated as a love interest.”

If George had ever needed proof that his twin was straight, _that_ was it. He didn’t know anyone who was attracted to men that didn’t at least _see_ the appeal that the Hufflepuff teen presented. Even if they weren’t attracted to Cedric themselves, they understood it.

It was just- for lack of a better word, obvious. And George had no reservations with telling Fred as much. 

“That’s just cause you’re painfully straight and jealous that Angelina likes him too.”

“ _Ouch_!” Fred playfully exclaimed, and they shared a grin at the overreaction. 

Though he should have expected it, it still came as such a relief that nothing had changed between them. Fred was still acting like his usual idiotic self; it was just that now he had actual ammunition in regards to his love life.

Everything and nothing had changed. The most important person in his life knew his greatest secret and had accepted him wholeheartedly. 

His twin still had his back, and the future suddenly seemed a whole lot less scary with that knowledge in mind.

“C’mon,” Fred said, nudging his shoulder slightly as he got up. As if knowing what George was thinking, his expression was soft as he spoke, “let’s go raid the kitchens and then find Lee. He’s probably wondering where we are by now.”

“Sure.” George nudged him back softly in thanks, “but before we go, you got any deep, dark, secrets you wanna share first?”

Fred hummed in mock thought before dramatically admitting, “I think that Percy is a huge knobhead and currently have his badge hidden under my mattress?”

George laughed, Percy jokes were an old-hat by now, but they never failed to cheer him up. Especially when the joke in question was about his shiny new badge. 

Which, _hang on_ \- 

“I know that, you twat!” He exclaimed, finally registering what Fred was actually admitting to, “I helped you steal it!”

“Hmm…” Fred pretended to think once more, before shrugging and landing on, “guess I’m an open book then.”

"Thank Merlin, not sure I could deal with _you_ having a crisis right now, too.” 

His tone was teasing, though his words were close to sincere. And if Fred’s offended, “oi!”, told him anything, it was that his twin had realised that too. 

He was about to apologise. After all, Fred really _had_ been good to him throughout this whole thing, and he didn’t want his twin to think that he wouldn’t reciprocate the care if needed. But before he could, Fred continued his exclamation with, “and after I was such a nice brother to you, too!”

Which, no. There was never a chance that he was ever going to reply seriously to _that_. 

So instead, he simply said, “I never claimed to be nice.”

“You’re the nice one!”

George snorted. That may be so, but he also full-heartedly supports Fred’s more insane plans, and rarely pulls the plug on the dangerous ones. So really, what did everyone expect? 

“Well that certainly doesn’t bode well for everyone else then, does it?”

Fred grinned wide at that response, and when instead of continuing that line of conversation he simply said, “welcome back,” George understood.

_It was good to be back._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coming out anxiety ain’t logical my dudes, and woah I really projected onto George this chapter… whoops 😂 
> 
> Also, probably should’ve mentioned this sooner, but Cedric/Cho is **not** gonna be a thing. I’m not a fan of the love triangle trope, so even tho Cedric is gonna be bi, he’s not gonna be interested in Cho. They’ll just be besties.
> 
> Anyhoo, potential spoiler below? Probably not, but I also don’t know whether you want it to be a surprise or not as it’s not in the tags, so… don’t look if you want absolutely no information about the future.  
> -  
> -  
> -  
> You can be rest assured that Molly ISN’T homophobic or biphobic. She’s just very invested in her kid’s love lives and has a pretty heteronormative viewpoint and way of speaking. That’s not to say that this behaviour is okay, but she’s not being _intentionally_ cruel, and when it all comes out, she will be very apologetic about all this and will seek to make it up to both of them.
> 
> No homophobia in this household, thank you very much. They’re gonna be fighting a war, and that’s more than enough trauma for these children.


End file.
